Lasting machine



May 4, 1943. H. LANE ETAL.

LASTING MACHINE F'iled June 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented May 4, 1943 "i" ()P'FI CE LASTING MACHINE Harold Lane and Willi am Arthur-Barton, Leicester, England, assignors to United S-hoe Machin- .ery Corporation, Bore ugh of Fl'emington', N. J.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application Junelffi, 1941, Serial No. 396,438 In Great Britain June 7, 1940 8 C aims.

This invention relates to lasting machines and is herein illustrated as .applied to a .machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,815,295, granted on July 21, 1931, upon an application of George Goddu, having means for tensioning an upper over a last and fastening-inserting means movable relatively to r the last into position to fasten the upper toasole.

It will be understood, however, that this invention is not limited to machines of that particular type.

In accordance with the invention, there is-provided improved means for tensioning the upper over the last in response to the movement of the fastening-inserting means into position to fasten the upper to the sole. In the illustrated construction, the means for tensioning the upper over the last comprises an upper-gripping jaw movable with the fastening-inserting means and a second upper-gripping jaw arranged to cooperate with the first-named jaw to grip the marginal portion of the upper, means being provided for moving the second jaw relatively to'the first jaw into and out of upper-gripping position in time relation to the movement inserting means. Preferably, the movements of the second jaw relatively to the first jaw are controlled by cam-operated-means arranged tomove the second jaw toward the first jaw to-grip the margin of the upper substantially at the beginning of the movement of the fastening-inserting means toward upper-fastening position and thereafter to move the second jawreversely to release the upper near the end of the movement of the fastening-inserting means which, in machines of the type herein shown, acts to press the marginal portion of the tensioned upper firmly against the bottom face of the sole prior to the insertion of each fastening. As disclosed, the upper-tensioning means is so constructed and arranged that it subjects to lasting strain that portion of the upper into which the fastening is to be driven.

lhe above and other novel features of the invention, including various struction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in left-hand side elevation of a portion of the head of a machine in which the invention is embodied, showing the parts in the positions they assumesubstantially atthe endof the staple-driving operation;

of the fasteningnovel details of con- Fig. 2 is a view in left-hand side elevation of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. -1,.but .showing the parts in their starting positions;

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan viewof .the operating instrumentalities shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV.IV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is asection on the line VV in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VIVI in Fig. 1; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view of a portionof the stapledriving mechanism of the'machine and showing the means for varying the direction of movement of the driver.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type disclosed in the above;-mentic-nod Letters Patent to Goddu and, accordingly, only such features of the general organization as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention will be described herein in-detail.

It will be understood that a machine of this type is provided with a sidegage l il (Figs. 1 and 2 a sole rest N (Fig. 2 serving to position the shoe,

shoe-upper-tensioning mechanism, and fasten ing-inserting means such as .a staple-driving mechanism |3 cooperating with a deflector 14 carried on the forward end of aslide'IZ, the slide being mounted in the machine head for'forward movement toward the operator in a downwardly inclined path, the slide also carrying the stapledriving mechanism. The upper-tensioning mechanism is arranged progressively :to tension unlasted portions of the upper over the last and insole along the edge of the bottom of the shoe, held in the operators hands. In time relation to each pulling of the upper a staple is driven by the staple-driving mechanism to fasten the tensioned marginalportion of the upper to the insole. As the staple is driven, its legs are engaged by the deflector I4, the deflector acting tocu'r-ve successive portions of the legs before they enter the work to cause the legs to follow curved paths and to becomeeffectively-anchored in thei nsole. Moreover, in time relation to each upper pulling operation, the slide I2 is moved forwardly to carry the lower end of the staple-driving mechanism, usually referred to as a staple-guidingnoz zle 15 (Fig. '7), and other parts a sqoiated therewith, inwardly over the shoe bottom to lay the marginal portionof the upper over the insole, whereupon the staple is driven and thereafter the slide 12 is retracted to its starting position. 3

The ab -m i ne .sho -unpehie s qn ns mechanism has a gripper comprising two parts mem ers O r er member il es .l and 2) is substantially U-shaped and is provided at its lower extremity with a jaw I8. The two upwardly extending arms of the member I6 are secured by a screw 28 to the opposite sides of the forward portion of the slide I2. The member I6 is provided at its lower portion with an upwardly extending shoulder 22 (Fig. 2) which is in engagement with an abutment 24 provided on the slide l2 to prevent upward movement of the gripper member l6 relatively to the supporting slide I2. It will be noted that the gripper member I6 is arranged to straddle the staple-guiding nozzle l and that its jaw I8 lies beneath the nozzle and a little forward of the staple delivery end thereof. By straddling the nozzle IS, the gripper member is held against lateral movement. The bottom portion or jaw I8 of the gripper member i6 is located slightly below the lower face of the nozzle to permit adjustment and swinging movement of the nozzle, to be described. As may be seen, the gripper member I6 is constrained to move with the slide I2.

The other gripper part or member 26 has a jaw 28 at its lower end which cooperates with the jaw I8, the gripper member 26 being mounted in the lower end of a substantially vertical bar 38 which is operated to move the jaw 28 toward the jaw l8 to clamp the upper prior to the forward movement of the slide I2'and the jaw I8. The stapledriving mechanism I3 (Figs. 1 and 2) is provided with a staple driver 34 (Fig. 7). As illustrated in Fig. 3, the jaws l8 and 28 of the gripper members I6 and 26 are located centrally with relation to the staple-driving mechanism l3 or, in other words, they are operated substantially in the vertical plane through the path of movement of the staple driver 34. Accordingly, when the gripper I6; 26 is active to tension the shoe upper it acts upon the portion of the upper into which a staple is to be immediately driven and, therefore, that portion of the upper is secured to the insole in its tensioned or stretched condition so that the pleats, formed in the upper material during the lasting operation, lie substantially at right angles to the edge of the insole. The gripper part 26 extends from the jaw 28 somewhat laterally of the machine; as illustrated in Fig. 3.

To impart to the gripper member 26 movements in a substantially horizontal direction, the bar 38 (Fig. l) is slidingly received about midway of its length in a block 38 which is pivotally secured by a stud 38 to a substantially horizontal sliding rod or overdraw rod 40.

To impart to the gripper member 26 movements in a substantially vertical direction, the upper end of the bar 38 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 42 to the forward end of a cam lever 44 which is pivoted about midway of its length on a horizontal stud 46. The rear end of the cam lever 44 has mounted on it a cam roll 48 which is received in"a groove of suitable configuration provided in one side of a cam disk 50, secured to a cam shaft 52 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the machine frame.

The above-mentioned rod 46 is slidingly mounted in bearings in the machine frame and the rear end of the rod has secured on it a block 54 (Fig. 1) from which projects laterally a stud 56 having rotatably mounted on it a rectilinear block 58. The block 58 engages in a substantially vertical groove 68 provided in one side of an arm 62 of a bell-crank lever 64 mounted for swinging movement on a shaft 65. The other arm 65 of the bell-crank lever extends rearwardly and then downwardly and carries-at its lower end a cam roll I0 which'engages the periphery of a cam disk 12 secured on the cam shaft 52. The cam roll 18 is held in engagement with the cam disk 12 by a coil spring 14 surrounding the shaft 65 and engaging at one end a lug 16 on th arm 62 of the bell-crank lever 64 and at the other end a lug 78 on a spring adjusting member 80 rotatably mounted on the shaft 65 and held in adjusted position by a spring-pressed pawl 82 carried by the member 80 and engaging a ratchet wheel 84 rotatably mounted on the shaft 65.

The cam disk I2 imparts swinging movements to the gripper member 26 about the axis of the pivot pin 42 and at certain times allows the coil spring I4 to move the rod 40 rearwardly and the gripper jaw 28 rearwardly into engagement with the marginal portion of the hoe upper to grip that portion against the jaw I8 of the gripper member H5. The cam disk 58, which imparts up and. down movements to the bar 30, lowers the gripper jaw 28 slightly during the early part of the latters movement toward the jaw I8 and raises the jaw 28 near the end of its movement toward the jaw I8.

As a result of the timing and cooperation of the cams 58 and 12, the jaw 28 of the gripper member 26 is moved from an outer or forward position, illustrated in Fig. 2, which is slightly higher than the lower end of the sole rest II, downwardly and rearwardly toward the sole on the last, then substantially parallel to the upper face of the sole so that the jaw 28 enters the angle between the marginal portion of the shoe upper and the sole member, whereupon the jaw 28 is moved upwardly as it completes its rearward movement to grip the marginal portion of the upper against the jaw I8 of the other gripper member I6. The gripping of the marginal portion of the shoe upper between the jaws I8 and 28 of the gripper members I6 and 26 occurs before the gripper member I6 and the slide I2 begin to move forwardly and downwardly toward the work. The gripper jaw 28 i yieldingly urged toward the gripper jaw I8 by the coil spring 14 and as the slide I2 and the gripper member I6 move forwardly and downwardly toward the work, the gripper jaw 28 is moved with them, this movement being permitted by the coil spring 14. Accordingly, the gripper jaw 28 retains it grip on the marginal portion of the upper and causes the engaged marginal portion ofthe upper to be stretched over the last bottom. The gripper jaw 28 continues to grip the shoe upper until the slide I2 and the gripper member I6 have nearly completed their forward and downward movement. Asthe slide I2 and gripper member I6 approach the end of their forward and downward movement, and as the staple deflector l4, carried by the slide I2, is pressing the marginal portion of the upper against the sole and before the forward end of the slide I2 is swung downwardly, as fully described in the above-mentioned Letters Patent to Goddu, to cause the deflector I4 to press the upper firmly against the sole member, the cam 12 positively moves the gripper member 26 and jaw 28 away from the gripper member I6 and releases'the upper. The cam 12 has on it a segment (not shown) which may be adjusted to vary the time during the forward and downward movement of the slide I2 at which the gripper jaw is moved away from the gripper jaw I8.

The jaw I8 of the gripper member I6 wipes the marginal portion of the upper down against the sole member during the last portion of its forward and downward movement after the gripper jaw 28 has released the upper. After the staple has been driven into the work, the gripper jaw 28 remains in its outer or forward position while the forward end of the slide I2 is again swung upwardly and the slide I 2 is then moved to its rearward position. a

The grip of the jaw 28 upon the shoe upper may be relieved somewhat as the jaws I8 and 23 are moved forwardly together while gripping the marginal portion of the upper between them so that both jaws can slip on the marginal portion of the upper as they are pulling it over the last bottom and thus prevent undue strain on the work. To this end, the above-mentioned ratchet wheel 86, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 65, has pivotally connected to it one. end of a link 85 (Fig. 1') the other end of which is pivotally connected to a stud 88 adjustably secured in an arcuate slot 96 provided in an arm 92 of a bell-crank lever 94. The bell-crank lever as is rotatably mounted on a shaft 96 secured in the machine frame, and its other arm 98 carries a cam roll I08 which is held against the periphery of the previously-mentioned cam disk 50. The cam disk 59 has secured to it by screws I02, which pass through slots IE4, an adjustable cam piece N35. The adjustment of the cam piece I66 which serves to impart a swinging movement to the bellcrank lever 94 determines the time of the tension release of the coil spring I l toward the end of the operation of the gripper I6, 26. The adjustment of the stud 88 along the slot 90 determines the amount of movement imparted to the ratchet wheel 84 as a result of the operation of the bell-crank lever 9d and thereby the extent to which the pressure of the coil spring I4 is released.

The previously-mentioned staple-inserting mechanism I3 and its actuating means are similar to those disclosed in United States Letters Patent, No. 2,242,432,'granted May 20, 1941, in the names of Elliott and Mawbey, and according- 1y, only so much of them will be described here as is necessary for an understanding of their construction. As disclosed in that patent, the staple-guiding nozzle I is mounted to tip about the axis of a horizontal pin I08 (Fig. 7) projecting from a forward extension I I II on the slide I2. The driver-operating means, to be described, is so constructed that at predetermined time in the operation of the driver, preferably at the time when the crossbar of the staple is engaged by the deflector I4, the staple-guiding nozzle I5 is tipped about the axis of the pin I138 to move the stapleengaging end of the driver 34 heightwise of the deflector I l toward the work. The pin I08 is so located that, as the driver 34 is thus tipped with the guiding nozzle I5 during the remaining portion of its operative stroke, its staple-engaging end moves in a path approaching parallelism with the defiectin face of the deflector. The pin IRS is located just above a guideway H2 in the nozzle 55 and the driver 34 normally extends into the guideway II2.

In the illustrated construction, the staple deliector I4 is rigidly mounted on the supporting slide i2 opposite the outlet end of the staple guiding nozzle i5 and, hence, for the purpose of adjusting the degree of curvature imparted to the staple legs during the driving of a staple,

it is desired to adjust initially the distance between the outlet end of the nozzle I5 and the deflecting face of the deflector, as well as the angularity of the drivers approach to the dc flector, prior to the driving of a staple to determine the curvature of the legs of the staple to be driven. As in the construction disclosed in the above-mentioned Elliott and Mawbey patent, the driver 34 is secured to a slide II4 (Fig. 7) which is reciprocated a uniform distance in guidways formed in the nozzle, the slide I I l being pivotally connected at H6 to a link II8 the forward or upper end of which is pivotally secured at IE9 to the upwardly extending arm I20 of a bell-crank lever which is oscillated by camoperated mechanism, similar to the corresponding mechanism described in the above-mentioned application, to impart staple-driving and tipping rnovements to the driver 3 For the same purpose as stated in the said Elliott et al. patent, the link H8 is pivotally secured by a pin I 26 substantially midway between its ends to an arm I22 which is longer than the arm I29 and is mounted for swinging movement about a fixed fulcrum stud IN,

In order to permit an initial adjustment of the staple-guiding nozzle i5 relatively to the stapledeflecting face of the deflector I4 prior to the driving of a staple, the hub of the arm I29 is rotatably mounted on an eccentric sleeve I 28 (Figs. 6 and 7) the sleeve itself being rotatably mounted on a stud J33 supported in a bracket I32 (Fig. l) which, as more fully disclosed in the abovementioned Elliott et al. patent, is adjustably secured to the slide I2. The eccentric sleeve I28 has secured on its right-hand end (Fig. 6) a hand lever 13 3 by whichthe sleeve may be rotated. The hand lever has mounted in it a spring pressed plunger 35 which is arranged to engage either of two notches I 38 (Fig. 7), one of which is formed in a segment I48 secured to the right-hand end of the stud I89 (Fig. 6) and the other of which is formed on a segment I42 which is adjustable about the stud I38 and is located between the hand lever I34 and the segment MEI. The segment Ill has formed in it an arcuate slot I 44 through which a screw MG passes. The screw is threaded into the segment I42 and serves to clamp the two segments MB and I42 together. If the screw 545 is slackened, the segment I2 may be adjusted about the axis of the stud I30 to vary the distance between the two notches 38 and, accordingly, the extent of movement of the hand lever I34.

The axis of the eccentric sleeve E28 is ofiset from the axis of the stud I39 only a relatively small amount and in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 7 this axis is located at the rearward or left-hand side of the axis of the stud. The eccentric sleeve i28 is so arranged that in either position of adjustment of the hand lever I36? the driver 34 completes its staple-driving stroke in substantially the same position rela tively to the deflector M, or in other Words the final position of the staple-engaging end of the actuated driver 34 relatively to the staple-defleeting face of the deflector hi remains unaltered.

When, however, the staple driver 34 is in its retracted position, adjustment of the eccentric sleeve i213 from one position to the other raises or lowers the pin H9 pivotally connecting the link I 13 with the arm I29, thus raising or lowering the lower end of the staple-guiding nozzle I5 relatively'to the deflecting face of the deflector Hi. Accordingly, the distance between'the lower end of the staple-guiding nozzle and the deflecting face of the deflector I4 is either decreased or increased and at the same time the angle of movement of the driver relatively to the deflector is changed. This results in a corresponding change in the degree of curvature imparted to thelegs of the staple to be driven.

In the machine of the above-mentioned Letters Patent to Goddu, the staple wire is fed from a reel of wire and the winding of the wire on the reel causes the wire, when it is drawn from the reel, to have a tendency to curve in one direction and thus make accurate measuring of a length of wire difficult. To overcome this obstacle, the following mechanism is provided. The present machine has, similar to the machine disclosed in the Goddu patent, a wire-guiding nozzle I48 (Fig. 4) which, together with a so-called inside staple former I50, is mounted on the slide I2 and, therefore, both members I48 and I50 participate in the forward and rearward movements of the slide. The wire-guiding nozzle I48 serves to present an extent of wire, fed through the nozzle by mechanism disclosed in the Goddu patent, to a substantially U-shaped outside former I52 secured to a block I56, together with a wire-severing knife I54, the block itself being secured to the machine frame. The wire-feeding operation of the nozzle I48, to present an extent of wire to the outside former I52, is terminated by an adjustable stop. In the present machine the stop is in the form of a spring-pressed plunger I58 (Fig. slidably mounted in a bore provided in the block I58, the longitudinal axis of the plunger being in alinement with the outlet end of the nozzle I58 when the end of the wire is fed through the nozzle (Fig. 5). One end of the plunger I58 is held by a coil spring I60 located in the bore in the block I56 against the outside former I52 provided with wire-guiding slots through which the wire is fed. In the center of the end face of the plunger I58 adjacent to the outside former I52 is formed a small recess into which the end of the wire is fed. The inner end of the spring I60 is mounted on the reduced portion I64 of a screw I62 threaded into the bore of the block I56, the portion I64 acting as an adjustable stop for the plunger I58 when the latter is moved inwardly as a result of the feeding of the wire. The spring I68 is relatively light and, when the wire is being fed through the slots of the outside former I52, the wire end enters the recess in the plunger I58 and, as the wire continues to be fed, the plunger I58 is pushed back until it engages the stop I64, the latter, therefore, determining the length of wire fed in. As the plunger I58 is moved back or inwardly by the wire against the pressure of the light spring I68, the engagement of the wire end with the recess in the plunger I58 causes the wire to be moved in a straight path, with the result that the correct length of wire is measured.

The staple-inserting mechanism and staple wire feeding mechanism above described but not claimed herein are made the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 451,446, filed July 18, 1942, in our names.

Having thus described our invention, what we a claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a lasting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means movable relatively to a last into position to fasten an upper to a sole, of means for pulling the upper over the last and inwardly over the bottom face of the sole in response to the movement of said fasteninginserting means into upper-fastening position,

said upper-pulling means comprising an uppergripping jaw movable with the fastening-inserting means and a second upper-gripping jaw arranged to cooperate with the first-named jaw to grip the marginal portion of the upper, the second jaw being movable relatively to the first jaw into and out of upper-gripping position in time relationto the movement of the fastening-inserting means into position to insert the fastening.

2. In a lasting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means movable relatively to a last into position to fasten an upper to a sole, of means for pulling the upper over the last and inwardly over the bottom face of the sole in response to the movement of the fastening-inserting means into upper-fastening position, said upper-pulling means comprising an upper-gripping jaw movable with the fastening-inserting means and a second upper-gripping jaw arranged to cooperate with the first-named jaw to grip the marginal portion of the upper, the second jaw being movable toward the first jaw into upper-gripping position'substantially at the beginning of the movement of the fastening-inserting means into upper-fastening position, and cam means for moving the second jaw away from the first jaw and out of upper-gripping position substantially at the end of the movement of the fastening-inserting means into upper-fastening position. 7

3. In a lasting machine, the combination with fastening-inserting means movable relatively to a last into position to fasten an upper to a sole, of means for pulling the upper over the last and inwardly over the bottom face of the sole in response to the movement of the fastening-inserting means into upper-fastening position, said upper-pulling means comprising an uppergripping jaw movable with the fastening-inserting means and a second upper-gripping jaw arranged to cooperate with the first-named jaw to grip the marginal portion of the upper, the second jaw being movable toward the first jaw into upper-gripping position substantially at the beginning of the movement of the fastening-inserting means into upper-fastening position and then reversely to release the upper at a predetermined time in the movement of the fastening-inserting means into position to insert the fastening.

4. In a lasting machine, the combination with shoe-positioning means, of a gripper for tensioning an upper over a last comprising a pair of jaws supported and operated independently of each other, one of which is movable inwardly over the bottom of the shoe in a direction inclined toward its bottom face and the other of which is movable toward the first jaw to clamp the upper prior to the inward movement of the first aw.

5. In a lasting machine, the combination of shoe-positioning means and a gripper for tensioning an upper over a last comprising a pair of jaws supported and operated independently of each other, one of which is movable inwardly over-the bottom of the shoe in a direction inclined toward the face of the shoe bottom and the other of which is movable toward the first jaw to clamp the upper prior to the inward movement of the first jaw, and spring means constructed and arranged to hold the second jaw in upperclamping engagement with the first jaw during the inward movement of the latter.

6. A lasting machine having, in combination, means for positioning a last and shoe materials thereonincluding an upper and a sole, a gripper for pulling the upper, and a slide for moving said gripper inwardly over the bottom of the sole in a direction inclined toward its bottom face, said gripper comprising a pair of jaws, one of which is carried by said slide and the other of which is movable relatively to the first jaw into and out of upper-gripping position in time relation to the inward movement of said slide. 1

'7. A lasting machine having, in combination, means for positioning a last and shoe materials thereon including an upper and a sole, a gripper for pulling the upper, a slide movable at an angle to the bottom face of the sole for operating said gripper, said gripper having two jaws one of which is supported on the slide, cam levers for moving the other jaw relatively to the first jaw substantially at the beginning of the movement of the slide, spring means for holding the cam levers against their operating cams, and automatic operating means for varying the effect of said spring means substantially toward the end of the inward movement of the slide.

8. A lasting machine having, in combination, means for positioning a last and shoe materials thereon including an upper and a sole, a gripper for pulling the upper, a slide movable at an angle to the bottom face of the sole for operating the gripper, the gripper having two jaws one of which is supported on the slide, cam levers for moving the other jaw relatively to the first jaw substantially at the beginning of the movement of the slide, spring means for holding the cam levers against their operating cams, and automatic operating means for reducing the effect of said spring means substantially toward the end of the inward movement of the slide.

HAROLD LANE. WILLIAM ARTHUR BARTON. 

